U.S. relaxes travel bans and opens up to international travel

When will the travel ban stop and things open up?

As more and more people are getting vaccinated for Covid-19 around the world, the U.S. government has made the decision to lift travel bans from certain countries and thus open up its borders to allow foreign nationals to travel to the United States. The news of the lifting of travel bans is good news for many if not a surprise out of the blue given that the U.S. government stated last week that it was not the right time to lift restrictions.

Covid related U.S. travel bans were first imposed on China in January 2020 by then-President Trump in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. As the pandemic raged, more countries where infection rates were high were added to the travel ban list.

Currently, foreign nationals can not enter the United States if they have been in China, Iran, the European Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, or India within 14 days leading up to entry into the United States. Only U.S citizens, their immediate families, or green card holders could re-enter the U.S. from the UK or the EU, although some travelers could enter the United States if they qualified for a National Interest Exemption (NIE).

It should be noted that the lifting of travel bans from certain countries will only apply to air travel. The land borders between the United States, Mexico, and Canada will remain closed for non-essential travel for the time being.

Who is allowed to travel?

Starting in November 2021, all foreign travelers seeking to enter the United States must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (this means at least 2 jabs of the vaccine) before boarding any flight. The type of vaccination administered must be approved by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In addition, foreign nationals must also have proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of the flight.

Airlines will also be required to help collect contact-tracing information such as phone numbers and email addresses from international travelers to alert them to potential exposure on their travels. This information will be kept for 30 days.

Once they are in the United States, fully vaccinated travelers will not need to quarantine. Children who are too young to be eligible for vaccination will also be allowed entry provided they also undergo a COVID test.

Furthermore, U.S. citizens who are not vaccinated against COVID will face stricter rules for travel. This will include mandatory COVID testing the day prior to the departure from the United States and another COVID test when they return.

What IAS can do for you

Before you book that flight ticket to the United States, make sure that you are all set with your required travel visa. Here at IAS, we can help guide you through the U.S. visa process whether it be a family-based green card, a fiancé(e) visa, or a visitor visa for tourism.

We can help you with the application process every step of the way as well as check your documents to make sure that you have an application that is most likely to succeed. Call us today at +1 844 290 6312 to see how we can best serve you!